An Unexpected Encounter

Karissa Wright, while on a short-term project in Nepal, had an unexpected encounter with life-transforming potential.

I slipped into a small, tidy cafe on a busy road with only one other customer inside. We struck up a conversation and with his very broken English, he said was a young refugee from Tibet. When I asked if he was Buddhist he smiled and said “Of course. I am Tibetan." I learned this to be true. “To be Tibetan is to be Buddhist." He asked me what religion I was. When I answered “Christian," he lifted his arms to each side representing hanging on a cross and asked, “this one?" I agreed. There was a long pause as I ate buffalo momo and he sipped coffee. Finally, he asked, “can I ask you questions about your religion? I have not met a Christian before." As I answered questions about karma, death, salvation through grace and not works, along with some very personal questions, I was able to share the entire Gospel to this man who had never heard it before. I was just stopping at the cafe, I wasn't “on mission" to share my faith.

Whether you are reading this at home, an office or traveling, here in the States or abroad, did you catch that last sentence? Yes, I was in Nepal but I was simply eating alone, taking a “break" from ministry and meetings that day.